It takes a lot to get Michael Jarvis even remotely animated, but the understated Newmarket trainer is clearly getting a little excited about his Vodafone Oaks favourite Eswarah.

Even after Rakti's track record-breaking performance to take the Juddmonte Lockinge Stakes at Newbury, Jarvis allowed himself only a smile in the winners' enclosure and was hardly leaping around pumping his fist.

But there is no doubt that Eswarah did something pretty special in her final serious gallop at Newmarket last week, because when Jarvis was asked to rate his chances out of 10 of training an Oaks-winning filly, he replied: "Nine and a half."

The team at Kremlin House seems to get stronger year after year, striking in nearly every conceivable type of race, and it seems remarkable that Ameerat's victory in the 1000 Guineas in 2001 is the yard's only English Classic success.

However Eswarah, a daughter of Unfuwain who is one of the first batch of Hamdan Al Maktoum-owned horses to be trained by Jarvis, has looked to have serious potential on her two starts so far.

Both of those have been at Newbury this season, and after she had made an impressive debut to beat subsequent Cheshire Oaks winner Alumni by two and a half lengths, she returned to the Berkshire track for the Swettenham Stud Fillies' Trial.

This time she travelled well throughout and displayed a good turn of foot to comfortably outpoint Favourita.

The performance saw her promoted to favourite for the Oaks, although Jarvis felt this was a slight overreaction at the time.

"I thought 9-4 was pretty skinny for a filly who won a maiden and a Listed race when there are Group winners in the race," he remarked.

"But she did a sparkling piece of work last Tuesday and I'm very pleased with her condition. She's a pretty straightforward and clear winded filly.

"She has finished her work now and will just have a pipe-opener.

"I wish the race was now really as when the horses are fit and well you want the race to come as soon as possible because bits can drop off.

"She takes quite a nice grip in her races but Richard Hills settled her down well last time and she has a very quick acceleration, which you need in these sort of races."

Hills, who has partnered the filly in both her starts, has tasted Classic success at Newmarket and in the St Leger, and is equally bullish that Eswarah is showing enough to provide a first Epsom victory.

"Obviously she has still got a bit of learning to do but she settled well last time and in her work," he said.

"I got very excited on the gallops - I was very impressed with what she did and she impresses every time I ride her. I wouldn't swap her for any horse in the race."

* CLIVE BRITTAIN needs no introduction when it comes to training the winners of the world's most famous Flat races.

But when it comes to the biggest of the lot, the Vodafone Derby, there is a gap in the 71-year-old's outstanding record of achievement.

This year it will be Hattan, the winner of the Chester Vase, with whom Brittain plans to set that record straight.

And despite the colt's huge odds, Brittain is as optimistic as ever that he can land the spoils with his 32nd runner in the race.

"It's typical, isn't it?" he says. "If Aidan O'Brien had trained the winner of the Chester Vase it would be third favourite or something like that, but Clive Brittain trains it and it's 40-1!"

Brittain might well have a point.

He came closest to winning the Derby when Terimon finished second to Nashwan in 1991 at the ridiculous odds of 500-1.

If there is any justice it's about time that 'Great' Brittain ruled at Epsom. Hattan could be the horse to deliver that justice.